Alyssa collected her laundry but when she turned around she found herself face to face with Nicholas, in the same position as before. Why he hadn’t budged an inch was beyond her!
She refused to gaze into his beautiful eyes lest she drowned in them again. No, she couldn’t afford that. She had to stop her heart from thumping wildly, remembering their unfinished kiss every time she saw him. He was still her brother’s enemy and she couldn’t afford Alexander’s wrath. He had the power to finish her and restrict all her enjoyment without much effort since their parents blindly carried out his wishes. Her thoughts, feelings, and wishes never mattered to them at all.
“Move Nicholas. I need to get ready.” Nicholas came out of his trance and scratched his neck with nervousness. He knew he was supposed to stay away from her else Alexander would go out of his way to squash him but he was powerless. There was a strikingly powerful, deliriously beautiful aura about her that attracted him like a magnet towards her. She commanded his attention like no other woman ever had. Why did she have to be Alexander’s sister of all people on earth?
“What? Did you need something?” The moment the dumb question left her mouth, she started repenting it. She knew it might have felt like an invitation to him although she hadn’t intended it to be so. True, she wanted to finish the kiss she had started but she wasn’t dying for it. She anticipated Nichola’s cliche answer but Nicholas smirked instead.
“Maybe it’s you who needed something?” Alyssa’s jaws dropped while his smirk transformed into a perfect smile as if he knew that he was right this time.
“Me? What can I possibly need from you?” she asked warily, rolling her eyes at his cocky attitude. Was she that transparent that he could read her mind so easily? Did he know that she wanted to finish the kiss she had started? His smile deepened and her eyes were drawn to the hot dimple that formed on his right cheek. It wasn’t there ten years back! Maybe because he was quite thin, the opposite of what he was now. Who would have thought that he would grow up into such a hot creature, one who had all the characteristics to feature in every girl’s wet dreams?
“Maybe you need to kiss me, to finish what you started,” he leaned in to whisper startling Alyssa out of her mind. How the hell did he know? She would rather die than admit that. She pushed him away, angry at his insinuations. As if she was dying to kiss him!
“Never! F*ck you, Nicholas.” She walked towards the door, her face flushed with annoyance.
“If you wanted to ride me, all you had to do was ask me, Alyssa.” Alyssa stopped mid-stride, unable to believe that he really said that. What an assho*e! How could she think of kissing him at all?
“Get over yourself, Nicholas.” She stormed out of the room, swearing to never see his face again. Seething with fury, she went to her room to find Eva all geared up to go and help Sienna.
“What’s got your panties in a twist?” Eva chuckled waiting for her answer although she could guess who her friend might have collided into.
“Nicholas, who else? He thinks no end of himself. I wish I could wipe the smile and the dimple off his face forever!” Eva laughed instead of supporting her, making Alyssa simmer with anger.
“What’s so funny? Can’t you support me?” she grumbled.
“You’re whipped with his dimple, aren’t you? Admit it, Alyssa, you’ll feel better.” With that, she walked out of the room while Alyssa went to take a cold shower to cool her head. Later she wore the off-shoulder turquoise bridesmaid dress, cinched at the waist and falling in swirls around her feet. With her long golden hair cascading down her back, the turquoise floral hair accessory, and the diamond earrings that aunt Claudia gave her shining on her ears, she looked like a water goddess or a mermaid straight from the movies.
Coming out, she almost collided with Nicholas on her way to Sienna’s room. Wearing a light gray tuxedo, he looked wickedly beautiful with a face of an archangel – a fallen one. Alyssa couldn’t help but breathe in his intoxicating scent and her body immediately started to respond to his proximity.
‘No, Alyssa, he’s bad news. Don’t fall for his fake charms!’ warned her inner mind. Listening to her mind, Alyssa tossed her hair and walked away, totally ignoring him. Although she could feel his gaze upon her all the way, she didn’t once turn to look.
“Think it over!” yelled Nicholas as she was about to open Sienna’s door.
“Get lost!” She opened the door and went inside, closing it to lean upon it and calm her rapidly beating heart. She knew he meant the kiss but she would rather die than kiss him. She didn’t know what always came over her whenever she met Nicholas. Why did she always need to react to him? It was strange since she always thought she was immune to the boys who chased her. Why was it so difficult for her now?
“There she is at last. Come here and do my makeup, Alyssa,” said Sienna. Alyssa composed herself and flashed her curious friends a fake smile and sat down to do as asked.
Skylar worked on Sienna’s hair while Alyssa did her makeup and Eva helped her with the dress. Hayley fixed the jewelry and the veil and they all gasped at Sienna’s complete look, admiring the off-shoulder mermaid gown she wore.
“Lucas bought the perfect one for you. How did he manage it, I wonder!” said Alyssa.
“I know, Christian sucks at shopping. It seems like a punishment to him,” said Skylar.
“Even my brother but strangely he accompanies Eva on her shopping escapades!” laughed Alyssa, making Eva blush.
“Only because my car wasn’t starting, okay?” Eva protested, blushing more.
“As you say. But I know otherwise,” said Alyssa.
“Eva’s the reason why he came all the way here to enemy territory, ” said Hayley.
“Yeah and you’re the reason why Ashton accompanied him here,” said Alyssa with a laugh.
“No, you’re the reason why Alex came here,” Eva told Alyssa.
“I don’t think so. I never listen to him and he never follows me around. It’s only when I’m with you does he go crazy,” said Alyssa with a laugh.
“So the next wedding should be Skye’s or Eva’s?” asked Hayley.
“It could be yours too,” pointed out Alyssa.
“Or yours,” they all chorused.
“Mine? Are you guys nuts or what? You need a groom to get married, okay? ” said Alyssa with an eye roll.
“Why? Your enemy, the wicked Nicholas is so whipped with you,” said Skylar with a laugh.
“As if,” said Alyssa, rolling her eyes and wondering if only they knew the reality. Nicholas just loved to rile her up, all because she was Alexander’s sister.
They laughed and teased each other till it was time to go downstairs. Aunt Claudia arrived to escort Sienna while the girls followed her to the huge banquet hall where the officiant was waiting with Lucas and his groomsmen. Alyssa could feel Nicholas’s hot gaze upon her but she chose to ignore him. With her brother and Ashton standing beside her, it was the best thing to do. She could feel the staring contest going on between her brother and Nicholas and just prayed that nothing untoward happened now.
The music was about to start and the bridal party geared up to walk down the aisle. To her utter astonishment, Nicholas chose to walk with her while she looked around to see her brother’s reaction. Would he start a fight now?
“He’s busy!” said Nicholas again showing off his dimple as if to entice her into submission. She glanced at her brother ready to walk down the aisle with Eva. What the hell was happening? Who made him a groomsman anyway? She caught Lucas’s surprised look which soon transformed into a grin seeing the enemy ready to walk down the aisle for him. Marcus seemed exceptionally quiet and no one bothered him much knowing his temper.
Just as the music started, Nicholas held out his arm and Alyssa had no other option available than to hold onto him. With everyone watching, there wasn’t anything she could do. “Don’t get your hopes up,” she gritted out.
“My hopes are always up. I know you can’t resist me,” he said while Alyssa turned to look at the smirk on his face that she desperately wanted to wipe off.
“I’ll never see you again after this. So keep dreaming.” She tried to snatch her hand away but he clasped onto it with his other one and walked down the aisle towards the altar.
“We’ll see about that,” he whispered before releasing her and standing by Lucas but his eyes were fixed on her, making her acutely aware of herself. What exactly did he mean by that? What was there to see anyway? She wondered if Alexander would whisk her away immediately after the wedding! Was this the last time she would see Nicholas?